E-Business
RIMA Premieres IIM Africa
Following a major gap identified during the over nine years of existence in the Industry, RIMA Foundation announced the launch of a new professional platform-Institute of Information Management (IIM) Africa, expected to cater for the neglected and all important Information Management Industry in Africa.
IIM, a professional institute is expected to provide members of the Institute with objective insights and guidance on their career path and technology options, providing certifications, standards, competence and research.
According to Dr. Oyedokun Ayodeji Oyewole – chairman, board of directors, and chief executive officer, of the Institute, said that: “In the twenty-first century, information is the force powering our democracy and our economy. Both the private and the public sector will increasingly rely on information and knowledge, and create value through their ability to manage these valuable assets. Successful societies and economies in the future will depend on how well they enable information to be appropriately shared while maintaining essential protection for those on whose behalf the information is held.
“They will depend on how well they learn from the information they hold, and how they use it to create new value, and on how well they deal with the new challenges that digital information presents, whether around security, sustainability or privacy”
He further stated that effective management and sharing of information has the power to improve individuals’ lives and society as a whole, and even to drive economic growth which comes with significant responsibilities, not least to protect individuals’ data and privacy.
“The pace of change, and the challenges of the digital era, means we’re not only seeing new opportunities but are also facing new risks. Strong leadership, governance and professionalism in records, information and knowledge management will be key, both to seizing opportunities, and to meeting the challenges ahead,” Oyewole added.
The Institute of Information Management is strategically positioned to help both public and private organizations in Africa develop the required frameworks, tools and culture needed to build capability.
By improving professionalism in this essential field, as required in the following functions such as finance, administration, engineering, construction, project management, procurement, IT and communications, organizations will be ready to seize emerging opportunities, and meet the evolving challenges, of managing information in this emerging information age.